In Deadly Combat: A German Soldier's Memoir of the Eastern Front

Wounded five times and awarded numerous decorations for valor, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann saw action in the Crimea and siege of Sebastopol, participated in the vicious battles in the forests south of Leningrad, and ended the war in the Courland Pocket. In his memoir, he shares his impressions of countless Russian POWs seen at the outset of his service, of peasants struggling to survive the hostilities while caught between two ruthless antagonists, and of corpses littering the landscape.

Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship on and off the Court

In 1965, 18-year old Lew Alcindor played basketball for Coach John Wooden at UCLA. It was the beginning of what was to become a 50-year long relationship. On the court they broke basketball records. Off the court they transcended their athletic achievements to gain even wider recognition and tremendous national respect.

The Forgotten Soldier

When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation. Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive.

Easy Company, 506th Airborne Division, U.S. Army, was as good a rifle company as any in the world. From their rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to D-Day and victory, Ambrose tells the story of this remarkable company, which kept getting the tough assignments. Easy Company was responsible for everything from parachuting into France early D-Day morning to the capture of Hitler's Eagle's Nest at Berchtesgaden. Band of Brothers is the account of the men of this remarkable unit.

D DAY Through German Eyes: The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944

Almost all accounts of D-Day are told from the Allied perspective, with the emphasis on how German resistance was overcome on June 6, 1944. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers and gun emplacements of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest seaborne invasion in history? What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day?

Fur Volk and Fuhrer: The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, and just 17-years-old, Erwin fulfilled his dream on Mayday 1941, when he gave up his apprenticeship at the Glaser bakery in Memeler Strasse and walked into the Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin as a raw, volunteer recruit.

The Last Panther: Slaughter of the Reich - The Halbe Kessel 1945

While the Battle of Berlin in 1945 is widely known, the horrific story of the Halbe Kessel remains largely untold. In April 1945, victorious Soviet forces encircled 80,000 men of the German 9th Army in the Halbe area, South of Berlin, together with many thousands of German women and children. The German troops, desperate to avoid Soviet capture, battled furiously to break out toward the West, where they could surrender to the comparative safety of the Americans.

Tiger Tracks: The Classic Panzer Memoir

Wolfgang Faust was the driver of a Tiger I tank with the Wehrmacht Heavy Panzer Battalions, seeing extensive combat action on the Eastern Front in 1943-45. This memoir is his brutal and deeply personal account of the Russian Front's appalling carnage. Depicting a running tank engagement lasting 72 hours, Faust describes how his Tiger unit fought pitched battles in the snows of Western Russia against the full might of the Red Army.

The Men Who Killed the Luftwaffe: The U.S. Army Air Forces Against Germany in World War II

In this dramatic story of World War II, Jay A. Stout describes how the US built an air force of 2.3 million men after starting with 45,000 and defeated the world's best air force. In order to defeat Germany in World War II, the Allies needed to destroy the Third Reich's industry and invade its territory, but before they could effectively do either, they had to defeat the Luftwaffe, whose state-of-the-art aircraft and experienced pilots protected German industry and would batter any attempted invasion.

Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies

With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of black America. Defining Moments in Black History is an essential, no-holds-bar history lesson that will provoke, enlighten, and entertain.

With an executive order from President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941, the United States Marine Corps - the last all-white branch of the U.S. military - was forced to begin recruiting and enlisting African Americans. The first black recruits received basic training at the segregated Camp Montford Point, adjacent to Camp Lejeune, near Jacksonville, North Carolina.

David J. Watkins says:"Great narrative to put contributions of the first black Marines in perspective."

Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius

World War II began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer. No German tank better represents that thundering power than the infamous Tiger, and Otto Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career.

Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

A stunning look at World War II from the other side.... From the turret of a German tank, Colonel Hans von Luck commanded Rommel's 7th and then 21st Panzer Division. El Alamein, Kasserine Pass, Poland, Belgium, Normandy on D-Day, the disastrous Russian front - von Luck fought there with some of the best soldiers in the world. German soldiers. Awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross, von Luck writes as an officer and a gentleman.

The Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy Is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy

In this classic work, Professor George G. M. James methodically shows how the Greeks first borrowed and then stole the knowledge from the Priests of the African (Egyptian) Mystery System. He shows how the most popular philosophers including Thales, Anaximander, Plato and Socrates were all treated as men bringing a foreign teaching to Greece. A teaching so foreign that they were persecuted for what they taught.

Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention

Of the great figure in 20th-century American history perhaps none is more complex and controversial than Malcolm X. Constantly rewriting his own story, he became a criminal, a minister, a leader, and an icon, all before being felled by assassins' bullets at age 39. Through his tireless work and countless speeches he empowered hundreds of thousands of black Americans to create better lives and stronger communities while establishing the template for the self-actualized, independent African American man.

The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster

Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction.

D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of WW II

Stephen E. Ambrose draws from hundreds of interviews with US Army veterans and the brave Allied soldiers who fought alongside them to create this exceptional account of the day that shaped the twentieth century. D-Day is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities and triumphs of life are laid bare and courage and heroism come to the fore.

A Time for Trumpets: The Untold Story of the Battle of the Bulge

On December 16, 1944, the vanguard of three German armies, totaling half a million men, attacked US forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, achieving what had been considered impossible - total surprise. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the US Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler's last desperate effort of the war. The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the US Army - a triumph of American ingenuity and dedication.

Beyond the Call: The True Story of One World War II Pilot's Covert Mission to Rescue POWs on the Eastern Front

Near the end of World War II, thousands of Allied ex-POWs were abandoned to wander the war-torn Eastern Front. With no food, shelter, or supplies, they were an army of dying men. The Red Army had pushed the Nazis out of Russia. As they advanced across Poland, the prison camps of the Third Reich were discovered and liberated. In defiance of humanity, the freed Allied prisoners were discarded without aid.

Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany

This is the dramatic story of the American bomber boys in World War II who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep. With the narrative power of fiction, this is a harrowing ride through the fire-filled skies over Berlin, Hanover, and Dresden. Fighting at twenty-five thousand feet in thin, freezing air no warriors had encountered before, bomber crews battled new kinds of assaults on body and mind. Air combat was deadly but intermittent: periods of inactivity and anxiety were followed by short bursts of fire and fear.

When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America

In this "penetrating new analysis" (New York Times Book Review), Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of 20th century American history and demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. Through mechanisms designed by southern democrats that specifically excluded maids and farm workers, the gap between blacks and whites actually widened despite postwar prosperity.

Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II

Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces - formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution - and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.

The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War

Among the best books ever written about men in combat, The Killing Zone tells the story of the platoon of Delta One-six, capturing what it meant to face lethal danger, to follow orders, and to search for the conviction and then the hope that this war was worth the sacrifice. The book includes a new chapter on what happened to the platoon members when they came home.

Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar brings keen insight to the fore in Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, his most incisive and important work of nonfiction in years. He uses his unique blend of erudition, street smarts, and authentic experience in essays on the country's seemingly irreconcilable partisan divide, both racial and political; parenthood; and his own experiences as an athlete, an African American, and a Muslim.

Publisher's Summary

A world famous basketball player writing about the history of World War II may seem incongruous. But there is an order to these things; Abdul-Jabbar's high school mentor, Leonard Smith, was in the 761st Battalion, the first all-black tank battalion to see combat in World War II.

Together, Abdul-Jabbar and Smith interviewed the unit's 70 survivors and gleaned from them the story of this amazing band of brothers. The 761st operated under conditions of institutional racism that were as severe and evil as anything it might face on the battlefield. Yet, fighting with Patton at the Battle of the Bulge, it helped to turn back the German offensive. It even helped to liberate the concentration camp at Mauthausen. Abdul-Jabbar speaks to the honor, bravery, and dignity that characterized these men.

What the Critics Say

"A wealth of visual and tactical detail about what it was like to work, and often live, on the inside of a tank.... While it will leave aficionados satisfied, this is military history that will prove compelling to anyone with an interest in black men's experience during the 20th century." (Publishers Weekly)

In the genre of Stephen Ambrose and every bit as good. Yet in one critical way, it is much better. Brothers In Arms tells the story of the fighting men of the 761st tank battalion. The racism these men faced is presented in a straightforward and serious way as simply another aspect of their lives, albeit a gut-wrenchingly important one. There is no preaching or rhetoric in the story and it just simply kills me. In the historical context, it was like discovering a completely unrecognized enemy in the war, even though I have always known that racism was there.

In the face of such degrading hardship from their own country it would be impossible for any man to accomplish what these men did if they did not have each other. Brothers In Arms really brings this home without even trying and has given me a deep and profound appreciation for the word Brother. All of this said, this book is not about racism in WWII, it is about the 761st tank battalion and the incredible fighting they did and the vital contribution they made to winning the war.

It should be no surprise that Kareem Abdul Jabar produced this excellent book; he has successfully pursued excellence all his life. The story is clearly written. I find that often in Ambrose' books it is difficult to tell to whom or to what a particular character is referring to when they are speaking. Not so here. I found myself thinking about this book many weeks after listening to it. I have been filled with emotion and a sense of patriotism, which feels odd considering the treatment of these men. I cannot say enough in favor of this book, and more importantly, of the men of the 761st. MB

I loved this book. I appreciate this book mostly for the fact that it allowed you to hear about how African Americans were treated. It is so sad that you had to hear about the mistreatment of our brave soldiers after they sacrificed so much. I enjoyed the wonderful first hand accounts of the events that these brave men experienced. Hats off to all the solders who had the courage to stand up against all odds.

The only issues I have with the book are that the narrator mispronounces many words in the book; although most are foreign words. Wish the story was more detailed on the individual battles. Great story and as a history buff; very enlightening esp the racial issues of the time. THESE MEN ARE REAL HEROES!!!

Most definitely! Normally I would never read a book about a military war written by a professional basketball player. I say "Play your position!" I'd already been through the period in my career when we tried to convince Shaq to keep his "day job" because he absolutely could not RAP! But I digress..... Kareem Abdul Jabbar did his research here and, as a result of due diligence, delivers "Nothing But Air" - ALL NET!! An amazing, amazing story not known to most black Americans, much less the world at large.

What did you like best about this story?

This is not just an emotional "we been done wrong" bleeding heart account. It is factual, well-written, and unbiased.

What does Richard Allen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is a black man and, probably without realizing it, adds layers of pride and dignity to an already heroic story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The very end, the interviews with two of the surviving 761st Tank Battalion "Black Panthers". WOW! It brought me to tears!

Any additional comments?

This is a must-read for everyone who calls themselves an American. To hear about the bravery and sacrifice of men fighting for a nation that treated them like second-class citizens is appalling. Talk about hidden historical facts! These guys helped Patton win the war, even though he never acknowledged their contribution. (Patton died in a car accident the year after the war ended. See? God don't like ugly! ) The greatest tank battalion to ever fight in a war. They lost their lives to bring an end to Adolfo Hitler's reign of terror against the Jews and to gain the freedom of American, British, Australian and Danish soldiers being starved, beaten, tortured, murdered, and otherwise degraded by the Japanese in prisoner of war camps. To avenge the wholesale rape of Chinese women, the use of Chinese children as targets in "skeet shooting" by Japanese soldiers during the siege on Nanking. The enforced unpaid labor and killings of Chinese peasants by the Japanese throughout WWII.

Then these brave black American "citizens" returned home to sit in the back of buses, drink from "Colored" water fountains, be denied jobs, benefits, home loans and education for themselves and their children - the things given to every white veteran, many of whom saw no action at all.. Even while saving the lives of white soldiers, these soldiers were called "nigger" and "monkey". Yet they fought on with dignity, honor, respect and a bravery not borne from the support of a nation who treated them like second-class citizens.

The US claimed that they weren't smart enough or brave enough to be airmen so they were assigned to do a job that "no white man should be wasted doing" - to be boxed into what the military itself termed "iron coffins", huge unwieldy, untested rolling death boxes, often full of deadly carbon monoxide. Yet those black soldiers taught themselves how to drive and survive in those Sherman tanks, thereby being responsible for saving the lives of thousands upon thousands of white soldiers and officers. They had to fight another several decades to get the recognition they deserved. The records of their service and heroism were purposely destroyed because the government did not want it to be known how this country, allegedly the first democratic nation in the world, treated its citizens (and still does today) solely because of the color of our skin. These soldiers had to wait until the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton - long after most of the surviving members of the 761st battalion had passed away - to get their due. Or PART of it, anyway. White Americans should be ashamed to show their faces after such hypocrisy. I hope you all read this book written by a brother about the REAL "Band of Brothers"! Learn what it means to be a true American!!! 🇺🇸

NOTE: One of the original members of the 761st Tank Battalion was the first black professional baseball player, Jackie Robinson, who suffered racism coming and going! What happened to the "unalienable right that we were ALL created equal"? My bad! Those documents were written by men who enslaved men and raped women but still got to the President of this country! The same nation that tried to impeach Bill Clinton for cheating on his wife! None of our business! Hypocrites! 👎😠

Most Definitely yes!! The first time just had too much going on. I would love to have a map or Google Earth to follow along with where the tankers went. One of the many reasons I loved this book was that it was filled with facts about where they went and what they were doing while other events were going on elsewhere.

Another big point for me was that I felt that the story wasn't full of heavy-handed preaching about how bad life was for blacks. I expected that, but the story was academically and objectively written. The people in the story just accepted and moved past all the horrible things that the whites did to them. I wouldn't/ couldn't have been that strong, and I admire them all for shouldering the burden of the racism while continuing to fight and die for the country that wouldn't even admit that they had basic human rights. All around them, white soldiers got breaks, warm food, etc. but the 761st weren't allowed to have any breaks, and kept fighting above and beyond the call of duty. I salute them all and wish more could be done to honor them for their actions.

Who was your favorite character and why?

That's hard to say, because each of them had their own unique character. Some were important because of their innocent beliefs that everything was an adventure, some because their characters were rooted in steadfast devotion to each other. I guess each member of the tank crew for Cool Stud would be the main cast, but the story moved around to different companies, their commanders and so on, and each had an important part to play, so I would have to list everyone in the 761st as being special.

Have you listened to any of Richard Allen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Sorry, this was my first time hearing him. He did well for reading the story but I felt it would have been better if each person had a slightly different voice pattern. most of the characters' voices sounded too similar, so I had to listen for the name of who was speaking to be sure of everything.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no. As I said above, there's so much going on that I needed a break myself. But while listening to it, I was engrossed. I felt tired the way the characters were tired, never getting a break from the war or from how they were pushed by the uncaring command leadership.

This is a surprisingly good story of the 761st Tank Bn. and their battle with prejudice and Germans. The book is a typical WWII unit history with the racial prejudices of 1944 showing through clearly. This is not a detailed history but is a good story which most "unit histories" are not.

the story brought tears to my eyes at the end of this great tail about the lost paperwork, no recognition when they got home. The treament of these proud men during and after the war and the cover-up of their story is and always will be the typical American way!